1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hierarchical system configuration method and an integrated scheduling method to provide a multimedia streaming service on a two-level double cluster system, and more particularly, to a hierarchical system configuration method and an integrated scheduling method to provide a multimedia streaming service on a two-level double cluster system, which can configure hierarchically various system types depending on a size and a characteristic of the multimedia streaming service and provide a high-performance and high-efficiency multimedia streaming service regardless of a system configuration by: constructing a mono-level virtual cluster system including a virtual dispatcher node and a virtual server node in a single server node which does not include a shared storage unit among a plurality of special network storing and merging blocks; and constructing a two-level double cluster system through collecting a number of the mono-level virtual cluster systems into several bundles.
2. Description of the Related Art
A continuous increase in Internet users has led Internet servers such as web servers to be configured in cluster type including multiple nodes, which can provide extensibility and high availability, instead of a single node. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a conventional cluster system including independent multiple nodes.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the multiple nodes 110 and 120 of the conventional cluster system 100 (e.g., the Internet server cluster system) are mutually connected through a physical network. The physical and mutual connection of the multiple nodes 110 and 120 are attained as each of the multiple nodes 110 and 120 are connected with the same network through a corresponding communications line 1-A or 1-B. Also, each of the multiple nodes 110 and 120 are systems that can operate independently.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating a typical independent node system of the conventional cluster system illustrated in FIG. 1. As illustrated, the typical single independent node system 200 includes a central processing block 210, a main memory block 220, an auxiliary system source 230, and a typical network block 240, which is connected with a network through a corresponding communications line 2-A. The auxiliary system source 230 includes system units generally necessary for a conventional system except for the central processing block 210, the main memory block 220 and the typical network block 240.
As like the aforementioned Internet servers, multimedia streaming servers have been configured in cluster type to effectively deal with a continuous increase in Internet users and to provide a stable service.
In more detail of the multiple nodes 110 and 120 of the conventional cluster system 100 (e.g., the Internet server cluster system), the node 110 is a dispatcher node allocated at the front side of the cluster and the node 120 is a server node which actually provides a service. The dispatcher is often called “master” or “director” and there exist a number of the server nodes 120. The dispatcher node 110 manages the multiple server nodes 120 of the conventional cluster system 100 and regulates loads between the multiple server nodes 120 by assigning work inputted through the network to each of the server nodes 120.
Each of the server nodes 120 performs the assigned work independently under the conventional cluster system 100. That is, the individual server nodes 120 are objects of the independent work under the conventional cluster system 100.
Various methods for effectively configuring the conventional cluster system 100 including the independent multiple nodes 110 and 120 have been suggested. However, the suggested clustering methods are aimed to effectively configure and manage the cluster system including a single hierarchical system with independent multiple nodes which are connected through a physical network. Thus, it is difficult to apply the suggested clustering methods directly to a two-level double cluster system called “cluster of cluster,” wherein a single server node becomes a mono-level virtual cluster system and a plurality of the mono-level virtual cluster systems are collected to become the two-level double cluster system.